Business Jet Traveler

As if getting sick abroad weren't bad enough, add to that the possibility of being quarantined or placed in isolation when you come home by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ("Quarantine" refers to the separation of people who have been exposed to an infectious disease and might be contagious. "Isolation" is the separation of people who already exhibit symptoms.)

Audi's R8 has been a bright blip on the radar of the car crowd since it was first espied a while back, but this debutant mid-engine two-seater entered the consciousness of a wider population with its fleeting appearance in the Patriots-Giants Super Bowl commercial this winter. The ad spoofed the horse's-head-in-the-bed scene from The Godfather.

Ending protracted speculation about how it would address the aging fuselage cross section of its large-cabin business jets, Gulfstream Aerospace last month unveiled the G650. The model will topple the G550 from its perch as the biggest Gulfstream business jet when it enters service in the first half of 2012. (At least initially, however, the G650 will not replace the G550.)

You probably don't give much thought to the windows in your airplane's cabin. With the tasteful interiors and all the office and entertainment amenities available on private aircraft today, the windows might seem as though they exist solely to shed natural sunlight on the hand-rubbed rosewood finish of the pop-up computer desk.

"I predict that you will either go to prison or become a millionaire." Those were the parting words to Richard Branson from the headmaster at England's Stowe School, when Branson left the institution at age 16.

Travelers are no longer allowed to simply declare their citizenship to immigration officers at U.S/Canada border crossings. Those aged 19 and older must now show a passport, a "trusted traveler" card or a birth certificate along with government-issued identification, such as a driver's license.

Since being certified in 2004, this $17 million midsize jet has become one of Cessna's most popular models. One reason is that it can carry eight passengers almost 2,700 miles. Another is that it can take off and land on short runways. and then there's its intentionally simple suite of technologies, which helps minimize maintenance costs and down time.

Granted, it's relatively slow for a jet and has limited range. But the 328JET is also a modern, fuel-efficient aircraft with a roomy cabin that climbs quickly and can land on short runways. Plus, it's priced about equal to-or in some cases even less than-what you'd pay for a new turboprop. if it fits your typical missions, it's a model you really ought to consider.